SimpleXmlElement and XPath, getting empty array()

Question

I am having a little trouble with parsing XML from a google checkout response. The XML is coming straight from the google server so there is no problem with the XML itself.

I want to get hold of all the new-order-notification tags

I tried this but get an empty array() returned everytime.

$xml = new SimpleXmlElement($raw_xml);
$notifications = $xml->xpath('notifications');
$notifications = $xml->xpath('/notification-history-response/notifications/new-order-notification');
$notifications = $xml->xpath('//new-order-notification');

An XML snipet (Just the beginning)

<notification-history-response xmlns="http://checkout.google.com/schema/2" serial-number="c5cda190-0eb1-4f91-87cd-e656e5598d38">
  <notifications>
    <new-order-notification serial-number="271578974677716-00001-7">
      <buyer-billing-address>
        <address1>19 sandbox st</address1>
        <address2></address2>

The XML is coming straight from the google server so there is no problem with the XML itself. Yes, google is almost like @Jon Skeet in that regard. Their XML is well-formed by definition. ;-) — LarsH
– LarsH, Commented Oct 26, 2010 at 21:16

crackmigg · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-25 09:23:39Z

29

The issue is likely the default namespace. See

SimpleXMLElement::registerXPathNamespace
Creates a prefix/ns context for the next XPath query

Example:

$sxe->registerXPathNamespace('x', 'http://checkout.google.com/schema/2');
$result = $sxe->xpath('//x:notifications');

As an alternative if there is no other namespaces, simply remove the default namespace with

str_replace('xmlns="http://checkout.google.com/schema/2"', '', $raw_xml);

before feeding the XML to your SimpleXmlElement.

edited Oct 25, 2012 at 9:23

crackmigg

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answered Oct 26, 2010 at 13:37

Gordon

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1 Comment

LarsH Over a year ago

+1 good explanation and practical example. Folks, please do take the time to understand namespaces. They're not that hard, and it really is easier in the long run to understand them than to be continually trying to dodge them.

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